A fish-man who eats a Devil Fruit can still breathe underwater, but loses the ability to swim and cannot move freely while submerged. Breathing and swimming are separate abilities: the fruit removes the latter, not the former.
What changes underwater?
The cited Fish-Men reference says fish-men retain their ability to breathe underwater after eating a Devil Fruit, while losing the ability to swim. It describes them as unable to move freely underwater. In other words, being able to breathe does not restore normal underwater mobility.
The fish-man does not stop being a fish-man. The race-specific ability to breathe underwater persists, while the Devil Fruit weakness against swimming still applies. The sources do not establish how long a particular user could remain submerged, how deep they could survive, or what would happen in every circumstance.
Does a fish-man automatically drown?
No automatic drowning outcome is established by the cited material. It distinguishes underwater breathing from swimming: a fish-man can breathe underwater yet be unable to swim or move normally. Whether a person in a particular situation would be rescued, remain conscious, or otherwise survive is not answered by that distinction alone.
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Vander Decken IX is a canon example
The Fish-Men reference names Vander Decken IX as a fish-man who ate a Devil Fruit and points readers to chapter 613 and Volume 62. Treat those chapter and volume details as pointers from a secondary reference; they are not a substitute for checking a licensed manga edition.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the two abilities matter
The apparent contradiction disappears once the abilities are separated. A fish-man’s underwater breathing is a trait of the race; the inability to swim is the Devil Fruit drawback. A Devil Fruit user can therefore breathe underwater without being able to propel themselves or move freely through it.
The Devil Fruit reference describes the general swimming weakness. A ONE PIECE.com commentary published December 23, 2020 also discusses the tension between being a fish-person and being unable to swim, but it is commentary rather than a direct author statement resolving the details.
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